Will Arsenal regret turning him down?

Perhaps it’s that memories are terribly short in football – it was only three years ago that Cesc Fabregas’ transfer to FC Barcelona was painted in the worst possible terms for Arsenal.

It was a sign of how far the club had fallen, a sign that Wenger had led the club astray. It’s 2014 and now Arsenal are apparently no longer in need of a 27-year-old Fabregas coming into his prime. Both conclusions are probably too extreme and it seems the truth, in life, as well as football, often lies somewhere in between.

It’s not so much that Arsenal do not need a player of Fabregas’ quality but that their need is greater in other areas. Bringing in a striker was a priority last summer and feels even more important this time around. A right-back is needed to replace the out of contract Bacary Sagna, with all reports suggesting Serge Aurier is on his way from Toulouse.

A central midfielder is also required, but one with more destructive tendencies than Fabregas. Ozil, Rosicky, Cazorla, Ramsey, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Wilshere could all fall into the vague ‘attacking midfielder’ bracket that Cesc also occupies. All have differing strengths, and it’s unclear whether Cesc would play as far forward as he does for Barcelona, but Arsenal are clearly are not short in this area.

However, this kind of argument didn’t stop Arsenal signing Ozil last summer. The club already had a plethora of silky midfielders that liked to operate between the lines. The logic was that Ozil’s ability put him in a bracket with a select few, and when these kind of players come available, you can’t turn them down. Cesc would surely meet this quality requirement and therefore should be a target if Arsenal were to follow the same kind of thinking.

Given the above-mentioned group of midfielders combined propensity for picking up injuries, it’s possible to paint Fabregas’ similarities in a positive light, and certainly seems unlikely that there would be too many times in the season when all are available.

That Arsenal aren’t interested in taking their former captain back to the Emirates probably says more about Aaron Ramsey than it does about Fabregas. There’s no need to further eulogize about the Welsham’s dramatic development as a footballer but what’s important is that it appears to be lasting. Ramsey picked up where he left off after his absence with injury to quell any fears that what came before was some sort of extended purple patch.

The problem with saying no to Cesc for Arsenal is that someone else gets to say yes – and the idea of Chelsea with a midfield pair of Matic and Fabregas for next season is particularly frightening. This isn’t a good enough reason to buy a player on it’s own, but it’s a factor worth consideration.

Turning down Fabregas is brave decision by Wenger and it’s easy to imagine it seeming like a bad one should Fabregas move to Stamford Bridge and Arsenal sustain a long-term injury to one their key midfielders.

However, given the rise of Ramsey and stagnation of Giroud, Arsenal could spend £30m more wisely than on their former captain. Whether they’ll break the trend of missing out on targets as they’ve done in the last two windows remains to be seen.

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Liam Sullivan
1 year ago

Wenger is short sighted,in thinking that present midfielders,are going to be exempt from injury this upcoming season.Come New Year and we will see the same old Arsenal failures,with more injured players than fit players.Wenger also giving Mourinho a chance once again to rub his face in the mud.Fabregas can cover almost any position from midfield upwards.Only a manager blinded by his own ego,would turn down the chance to Fabregas at such a price.

Kyle Harding
1 year ago

Everyone ones so quick to pile the blame on Wenger, like the situation before previous season started all the short sighted ‘fans’ jumping on bandwagon calling for his job! When In fact the final decision to sign players is down to Gazadis an the mans a clown clueless in doing the business add to that all the boardroom politics…. The problems not Wenger!

Ebonyn Emanuel
1 year ago

I disagree. If he performs very well for chelsea or any other club is of no consiquence. The fact that he forced his transfer away from Arsenal by completing the transfer fee with his own money means alot. We have equally good players now; let him stay away. He left when we needed him most and Arsenal didnt die. Win or loss Arsenal is still Arsenal– Integrity matters.

Paul Muriku
1 year ago

Agreed

Gaurav Pawar
1 year ago

Agreed.

Coastal gooner
1 year ago

Saying that i am disappointed, is an understatement. Please take in mind the quality of player we will be loosing out on, Not only has he played with the best players in the world but the best coach in the in the most competitive leagues in Europe (champions league and la liga not forgetting EPL) winning silverware and playing against the best in Europe. On top of that he has International experience with Spain, winning the world cup, has been part of the team for a number of years. I don’t even have to remind Arsenal football club, Arsene wenger, The Arsenal faithful or the Premier league how well he can play.
If there was any question on depth? then Fabregas is the answer, if the question is that we are not scoring enough goals because we lack a WC striker? Well he has goals and can create goals. Fabregas + Ozil + Wilshere + Ramsey + Podolski + Santi + Rosicky + Alex Oxlade + Giroud…….. = Assists + Goals + best football i can dream of!
Arsene Wenger Bring that Gem Back to Emirates….. Please
Managers always say this and it has been repeated millions of times…..
“The more chances you create the better the chances of you scoring more goals”
Is there any other player available in the transfer market with his credentials and knows culture and football that is played at Arsenal. plus most new players that have never played in the EPL will take time to adapt physically with the rigours and pace. Not this guy.

Regret will be painful

Coastal gooner
1 year ago

Saying that i am disappointed, is an understatement. Please take in mind the quality of player we will be loosing out on, Not only has he played with the best players in the world but the best coach in the in the most competitive leagues in Europe (Euro 2008, 2012,Champions league and la Liga not forgetting EPL) winning silverware and playing against the best in Europe. On top of that, he has International experience with Spain, winning the world cup, has been part of the team for a number of years. I don’t even have to remind Arsenal football club, Arsene wenger, The Arsenal faithful or the Premier league how well he can play.
If there was any question on depth? then Fabregas is the answer, if the question is that we are not scoring enough goals because we lack a WC striker? Well he has goals and can create goals. Fabregas + Ozil + Wilshere + Ramsey + Podolski + Santi + Rosicky + Alex Oxlade + Giroud…….. = Assists + Goals + best football i can dream of!
Arsene Wenger Bring that Gem Back to Emirates….. Please
Managers always say this and it has been repeated millions of times…..
“The more chances you create the better the chances of you scoring more goals”
Is there any other player available in the transfer market with his credentials and knows culture and football that is played at Arsenal. plus most new players that have never played in the EPL will take time to adapt physically with the rigours and pace. Not this guy.

Regret will be painful

Kyle Harding
1 year ago

Cesc brings with him a wealth of domestic/European experience, which the likes of Wilshire, Ramsey, Ox etc… will benefit from immensely! Rosisky’s getting on, Arteta well past his best, Fab would fit in perfectly, depth is the key!

Kyle Harding
1 year ago

Cesc brings with him a wealth of domestic/European experience, which the likes of Wilshire, Ramsey, Ox etc… will benefit from immensely! Rosisky’s getting on, Arteta well past his best, Fab would fit in perfectly, depth is the key!